Inheritance
by halfmadandlovingit
Summary: How will the Weasley and Potter families cope with life in the spotlight? What happens when old memories threaten to rise again? How will the next generation cope with their inheritance? Mainly Rose x Scorpius but more pairings inside. Please read.
1. Chapter 1

Looking around, Ron couldn't help but feel some remorse. It had always saddened him to see the way his children and more often, Harry's, had to deal with the media. It was all they had ever known, an inheritance he hadn't meant to give. As soon as they left the sanctuary of their homes, which were well guarded by privacy charms, they were bombarded with reporters, quills and the ever present flash of a camera.

They were at Shacklebolt's official birthday celebrations, a prestigious event that preluded a more homely celebration later this week. As Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt knew all too well the stresses of life in the public eye. It was a grand event, with the Ministry decked out in its finest but Ron didn't like being watched by the many pairs of eyes in the room. After all that time on the run, it made him uncomfortable. His anxiety lessened slightly when he saw his wife making her way towards him and felt a smile slip onto his face. The years had been kind to Hermione. She was as beautiful now as she had been all those years ago. Her brown eyes held the same kindness, although they were now adorned with a few extra wrinkles. Not that he'd ever tell her that. He didn't believe the potency of her hexes had diminished at all.

Though her dress was a lot less ostentatious than some of the others he had seen tonight, it still made his breath hitch. The dress hugged to her curves, subtly outlining the envious body it concealed. Ron couldn't resist wrapping his arm around her waist and drawing her closer to himself. A smile on her face, she reached up to kiss, not deeply, but lovingly as if she too felt the gazes on them. Even in her heels, she had to reach up for their lips to meet, something he found endlessly endearing.

"Is that really necessary?" at the voice of their fifteen year old son, Hugo, husband and wife reluctantly separated. Immediately, Hermione set about trying to tame the unruly mop of red hair her son had inherited, something she did religiously whenever she saw him. Grinning at his son's embarrassment, Ron nevertheless decided to save him from his mother's incessant care.

"Where's your sister?" he asked, smirking as his son wriggled from Hermione's grasp.

"I dunno. Last I saw she was talking to the reporters."

Of all the Golden Trio's descendants, Rose seemed to cope with life in the spotlight the best. Unlike her younger brother, she didn't hide from it, but accepted that it was part of her life. Rose had an easy relationship with the media, an easy charm they lapped up like thirsty dogs. She would always find a moment for them. Ron didn't know how she did it. After almost twenty five years of living with them, he never found the knack of it. What amazed him the most was that she never gave too much away, only telling them just enough to sate their appetite, a skill her parents were glad she had acquired. Many a times, Ron had heard his best friend moaning about having to stop things going to print. The Potter children didn't seem to cope half as well; James was forever starring as the loveable troublemaker, to the public's amusement and his parents' annoyance. Harry's youngest, Lily, never quite knew when to keep her mouth shut, which caused endless problems. Only Al had seemed to follow in his cousin's footsteps and escape unnecessary attention.

Ron loved how close the two teenagers were. For as long as he could remember the two had been inseperable. Their trio had been completed when Scorpius Malfoy had been befriended by the two. Although he had never quite gotten over his feud with Draco, he had nothing but time for his son. He was kind, hardworking and had proved time and time again that he was a good friend to both his nephew and daughter for which he was extremely grateful. Rose needed someone to watch her back.

He couldn't help but worry about his eldest child. She had been twelve when they realised that the power she held within her could rival that of a grown adult at the height of potency. But it wasn't her strength that was the problem but her control. There were times when she seemed to struggle to contain the magic flowing through her veins. It scared him that no one really knew the true limits of her powers. Of course, very few people knew about this – he hadn't even told his own mother. Both he and Hermione had discussed it with Professor McGonagall and they had decided that the fewer people who knew the better it would be. It had been nearly a year since her last lapse but his heart still constricted with worry and the thought of it. Knowing that she had two very loyal friends who would do anything to keep her safe eased that slightly.

Both Al and Scorpius had sworn to him that they would keep her secret and most importantly, keep her safe from the nuclear bomb ticking inside her. He could only hope they would always be there to catch her. 

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><p><strong>What do you think? Please review and give me any thoughts or advice you may have about it; i love getting them :)<strong>

**I am pretty new to this however so i do ask you to not be harsh. i have no problem receiving criticism as long it is meant to be constructive not hurtful.**

**Unfortunately****, the Harry Potter universe belongs to J.K. Rowling (how I wish I could have her talent!) and so i own nothing.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed and favourited; it means so much to me. I'm sorry for the long wait in between chapters - I'll try and be quicker next time. My excuse is that I'm doing a creative writing challenge with my Nana that takes up quite a lot of time since I have to write it and then try and publish it on my blog which can get a bit complicated. Not the best excuse I know but there you go. **

**Please continue to review if you can - feedback and advice is always welcome. **

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, not me :( **

Chapter 2:

The one thing Ron hadn't accounted for, however, was his daughter's temper. It was fabled among their family; if Rose was angry, you did your best to stay out of her way.

Unfortunately for the Weasley's that was not an option today. They lagged behind her as they made their way towards Platform nine and three quarter, none of them wanting to aggravate her. To the many other travelers gathered at the station, she looked perfectly content. It had been her brother who had noticed the way her hands were clenched around the trolley she was pushing and had warned his parents.

They had all expected it, having seen the article in the Daily Prophet the day before. One of the newer, less experienced journalists had published a piece suggesting that Rose had been trying to charm the Minister of Magic's son in order to secure a job high in the Ministry, which was, of course, nonsense. Rose hated handouts.

Hugo didn't envy the journalist, knowing that all too soon they would find their career dramatically shorter than they had anticipated. He had seen the scathing letter she has sent to the editor that very morning, who was on good terms with his sister. The idiot wouldn't last the day.

Once they entered the platform, they spotted the Potter family easily enough. Hugo shot his cousins a warning look as they approached and they looked at Rose in trepidation. They did not want to be the one to push her over the edge.

The family said their good byes quickly, all eyes on the smiling Rose. They knew she wouldn't show any anger under this much scrutiny. The moment they pulled from the station she would let them all know _exactly_ what she was thinking, whether they wanted to or not.

Al couldn't help but sigh in relief when he saw a familiar blonde head make their way towards them. Scorpius was much better at handling Rose when she was angry than he was. He scurried away to find Mia, his girlfriend of two years before he could be roped into sharinga carriage with his best friends. Right now, he preferred his safety to their company. He smiled when he saw her trying to lug her heavy trunk aboard the train, lovingly the way she could barely lift it. Wordlessly, he took his wand from his pocket, muttering an incantation and levitating it aboard. She looked around quickly, trying to work out who was controlling her luggage. When she saw Al she felt a smirk cross her lips. He was always the hero. Her hero.

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><p>Scorpius sat across from Rose, waiting for the inevitable. He knew there was no point trying to get her to talk yet – she would only open her mouth when she was sure they were far enough away from the media.<p>

As he had predicted, as soon as the train drew from the station lazily, she was on her feet.

"How dare she? What gives her the right?" She was pacing now, barely able to contain her anger.

He feigned boredom, idly checking his nails.

"You know, you were looking pretty close..."

"Excuse me? I talked to him. That's all. Can't a person even talk without all the crazy rumors?"

He listened to her ranting with a smile. It worked every time. He was the only one that dared to challenge her when she was like this, which had resulted in many an argument between them. To strangers, they probably looked like mortal enemies the amount the two of them fought.

He was shook from his reverie by the soft sound of Rose sitting down. She sighed audibly. Having shot all her anger at him, she was suddenly spent.

"Chocolate frog?"

And just like that, she was smiling again.

He loved it when she smiled that way, an honest smile, not the one she forced for the cameras. A part of him wished the world could see her the way he did but he knew that couldn't happen. She had lived this way for too long to change now. They both had.

The best they could do was snatch these moments, grasp reality as if it was the only thing keeping them afloat.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Rose settled into life at Hogwarts quickly enough, as she always did. This year she couldn't help but feel a certain sadness. This was her last year, her last year in this, her haven. She loved the privacy the castle offered her. She might have to deal with the bashful stares of some of the newer students but it at least offered a break from the media, for which she was grateful. At school she could just be Rose, with little thought to her last name. Unfortunately it was a luxury she was about to lose.

The first weekend of term always brought some excitement for students. For most, it was the trip to Hogsmeade. The older students, however, had Michael Wood's first party of the term to look forward to. It was a tradition that had been started by the eldest of the Wood boys nearly ten years ago. Since then, on the first Saturday of term every year all those in their fifth, sixth or seventh year gathered in the Room of Requirement to mourn the loss of freedom they had suffered when they returned to school. Being a seventh year, this was Michael's last chance to outdo his brothers and he planned on doing exactly that. When the brothers reached their last year, each had done their best to make it the wildest night Hogwarts had ever seen, something the students never complained about. The Wood's had an uncanny knack of sneaking forbidden items into the school that had proven useful on many an occasion. It was rumoured that Sam, the middle brother, had once managed to sneak a dragon egg into the school, although it had been discovered before he sold it to an adventurous third year.

One thing was certain: it would be one hell of a night.

Rose smiled to herself as she thought about it, excitement brewing within her. She loved a good party. Before then, however, she had agreed to meet Al and Scorpius in the Entrance hall before heading down to the wizarding village. She had dressed in a grey knit dress and black work boots that morning, knowing that in typical English style, it would be cold. Not that she minded. Rose loved winter, loved wrapping up in her treasured wool coat and cosy scarf, loved sitting in front of a fire with a warm drink in her hands.

Her cousin was nowhere to be seen when she reached the entrance hall but she quickly spotted Scorpius among the crowd of students. He was tall, almost 6"4, with the typical good looks of the Malfoy men. Unlike his father, however, there was kindness in his grey eyes that made people instantly warm to him. Rose just wished people could look part his last name.

She knew how hard it was for him, constantly having to prove he wasn't going to repeat his family's mistakes. It was part of what had brought them together actually. Both of them had a lot to prove.

He smiled when he saw her. It was this smile that so many girls had fallen for, a smile full of promise, of love.

"Where's Al?"

"Mia's ill. He's taking care of her."

Rose chuckled at that. If they had been talking about anyone else she would have been extremely skeptic. Al was shy though, and a gentleman. He would be telling the truth. He loved Mia, that much was obvious to anyone who had seen the two of them together.

Rose couldn't help feeling jealous. She had long since given up on the idea of a normal relationship, knowing that for her at least, it was impossibility. Even if she managed to survive the media, as her cousin and Mia had, there was still her control to deal with. It was too dangerous to let anyone get that close to her. If the papers found out that she, daughter of one of the finest witches ever known, couldn't even keep her power in check, everything she had worked so hard to protect would be ruined. Of course, there was always a slight chance that maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from hurting him. It was a risk she wasn't willing to take.

She felt Scorpius stiffen beside her and turned just in time to see the hurt flash across his face. Rose glanced around, her anger growing when she spotted the couple walking to the side of them. Scorpius and Jade, a pretty blonde, had dated last year until she broke his heart. Rose remembered his pain when he'd found out she'd cheated on him in the Christmas holidays with a scowl. Needless to say, the two girls were no longer on the best of terms after Jade had been subjected to Rose Weasley's famous temper.

Winking at him, she snaked her arm around Scorpius' waist, drawing him closer to her. He nearly protested until he saw the mischevious look in her eye. Bringing his head mere inches from his ear, he whispered.

"What are you doing?"

She turned to face him with a smile, her hand cupping his cheek

"Trust me." She breathed, her voice barely audible.

Scorpius relaxed at her touch. He may not have known what she was going to do but he trusted her.

A lot sooner than she had hoped, Rose spotted Jade headed their way, her new fling in tow. Jealousy was plain on her face.

"Scorpius! Hey!" Her voice had always made want to Rose throw her hands over her ears; it was sickly sweet and clearly fake.

"Jade, Darren, I haven't seen you in a while."

Scorpius fought back a laugh when Rose began whispering in his ears. From the look on his ex-girlfriends face, she clearly thought Rose was flirting with him. In reality, she was simply recounting a meeting with a foreign wizard she had met on holiday, though she was making sure to press her body against his, something he had no complaints about.

He hadn't realized Jade was talking when he interrupted her. Suddenly, he just wanted to get out of this conversation.

"You know, I hate to be rude... but... erm... we have somewhere to be."

"No, I understand," she began, disappointment in her voice, "I... I didn't realize the two of you were together..." she trailed off, her eyes locked on Scorpius' arm around his best friend's shoulders.

Rose dragged her mouth away from his neck, turning to face Jade with a smirk.

"Who said anything about a relationship?"

The two turned to leave but not before Scorpius saw envy contort Jade's face. He couldn't help the smile that crept across his face.

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><p>"You didn't have to do that - " Scorpius began when they settled into their table at the Three Broomsticks.<p>

"Yes I did. The girl's a bitch."

"Do you ever let me finish a sentence? I was trying to say thanks."

Their eyes locked across the table. In that one look, she managed to tell him what she had never been able to put into words, something only he could understand.

They would stick together, no matter what.

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><p>Disclaimer: I own nothing.<p>

Thank you!


	4. Chapter 4

Scorpius was bored.

Al had been a no show to tonight's party and as of yet, he hadn't seen Rose. Instead he had to make do with talking to the captain of the Gryffindor team and his dorm mate, Ryan Theaton, who made History of Magic seem exciting.

He was trying his best to pay attention, he really was but he doubted even the most skilled politician could cope with this for very much longer. Scorpius had talked to some of the dullest people in the wizarding world at some of the high profile events he had been dragged to but this was unbelieveable. Listening to Ryan recount stories of his summer made Scorpius want to rip his ears from the side of his head. In fact, he was ready to jump off the astronomy tower when he spotted Rose making his way towards them.

_Damn she looked good_, he thought before he realized this was his best friend and he was not meant to think of her in that way. Although she was making it very hard for him to keep his thoughts chaste in that tight black dress that showed off her famous curves, covering just enough to keep it classy. Her wild red hair was tumbling around her shoulders in loose waves and her eyes! Subtly lined in black, they were the eyes of a seductress.

He gulped.

Why did she have to look so gorgeous? He was having enough trouble getting her out of his head since her little tricks this morning and now this? It was enough to send any guy over the edge.

"Can I borrow Scorpius for a minute?" She asked Ryan, smiling sweetly at him. He nodded dumbly, transfixed. Like most of the other guys in the room and Scorpius noted with a chuckle, a few of the girls, his eyes were glued to Rose's body. Not that he could blame them.

"That's twice I've saved you now, Scorp. I think you owe me a drink."

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><p>They were dancing, both long past sober when it happened.<p>

"Scorpius," she had breathed, fear evident on her face. He looked at her shaking hands and cursed. There were too many people here. If she lost control now, the secret would be out.

Scorpius grabbed took her trembling hand in his and began to pull her from the Room of Requirement. Luckily most people were either too drunk or oblivious to notice the duo slip from the party.

He wished he had the cloak with him but knew that he didn't have time to get it so instead they snuck through the corridors, moving as quickly and silently as they could. Since most of the staff didn't know and the two of them were visibly drunk, to be caught would mean serious trouble for them both.

"We need to hurry," Rose whispered. She was trying to stop it but she knew it was useless. When the tide of magic hit her, she had no control. All she could do was make sure the damage was minimal. It took all her effort to keep it in check until they were out of the castle. She barely heard Scorpius' muttered spell above the pounding in her ears. It was close.

The second the branches of the Whomping Willow stopped their wild thrashing they dashed through the cramped tunnel_. This sure was a lot easier when they were younger,_ Rose thought absentmindedly as she watched Scorpius crawl ahead of her.

_He sure has a nice ass. Wait this is Scorpius I'm talking about! Maybe I shouldn't have drank so much..._

She was dragged both from her thoughts and the tunnel by the strong arms of her best friend. Rose looked around the Shrieking Shack with a grimace. It wasn't the most appealing of places but with all the rumours surrounding it, nobody would notice if she made some noise.

Rose could feel it, feel it building within her. She didn't even have time to reach for her wand before the room began to shake as if caught in an earthquake. He was by her side in an instant, his hands around her wrists.

"You should go," she said, struggling to form the words. If only the almighty hammering within her skull would stop, she might be able to concentrate, make out the words Scorpius was whispering to her. "Rose, Rose you need to look at me, just keep looking at me."

Their eyes locked. He was her anchor; she clung to him fiercely as the magic was ripped from her chest. She couldn't see what was happening, couldn't focus on anything other than deep, grey eyes that refused to let her go. The tears were flowing freely now as she struggled against it. She was so scared that if she relaxed for even a fraction of a second, she would be lost. This sort of power was absolute and if she gave into it... she wasn't entirely sure she would be able to stop herself.

As suddenly as it started, she felt the noise recede, the last of the magic seeping from her. It was ok. She had made it through.

Her heart dropped when she saw the state of the Shrieking Shack. The grimy walls were charred, scorch marks adorning them. It looked as if an explosion had happened, which she guessed it had. She hugged her knees to her chest – she had done this. It was her fault.

She couldn't speak past the shame in her throat as she watched Scorpius wordlessly put out the last of the embers and do his best to set things right. Didn't he realize this couldn't be fixed, that _she_ couldn't be fixed?

"What's wrong with me?"

The words were barely audible but he heard them, felt the agony seeing her so defeated brought out in him. He crossed the room, kneeling beside her.

"Listen to me very clearly. There. Is. Nothing – Nothing- Wrong with you?" She nodded, but he could tell she didn't believe him. Why was she so stubborn?

His hand was upon his cheek and at that moment all he wanted was for her to realize that whatever this was it didn't mean that she was anywhere near as messed up as she thought she was. He surprised both of them by leaning towards and pressing his lips against hers. What shocked him the most was the passion he felt with the connection. The kiss deepened and he pulled their bodies closer.

They both knew that they would regret it in the morning but right there, in that moment, all the friends knew was that neither of them wanted to be alone tonight, especially when breaking the rules felt so right.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: its rated M for a reason...**

**Thanks to everybody who reviewed or added it to their lists :) I can't explain how much it means.**

**Disclaimer: i own nothing in this story...**

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><p>Rose woke with a very muscular, naked chest as her pillow. She sighed; she had done it again. Gone to bed drunk and woke up without any recollection of how she had found herself in a stranger's bed. Her eyes were pressed tightly together, the light flowing into the room only adding to the headache she could feel brewing. Rose tried to piece together the events of last night. She remembered drinking – <em>lots<em> of drinking. She and Scorpius had decided to show off their less than brilliant dancing abilities and then... she had felt the all too familiar sensation of the power within her fighting to get out. No wonder she felt as if she had just run a marathon.

But what had happened next?

She opened her eyes carefully, each moment heavy. It took her a moment to place her surroundings, to work out that she wasn't just in a student's dormitory.

Realisation hit her like a stunning curse. Hoping with every fibre of her being that she was wrong, she slowly raised her gaze to the the still sleeping form of her best friend.

In her desperation to get away from him and remove his arm from around her, she fell from the bed with a thud, which, of course, roused Scorpius from his slumber. She hastily grabbed at the sheets, wrapping them around her naked body. Her cheeks blazed when she realized Scorpius was now completely uncovered on the bed, his naked form in all its glory before her.

Shit! Shit! Shit! She had slept with Scorpius!

Groggily, he opened his eyes, gazing in confusion between his nudity and the scantily glad girl in front of him.

He had always fared better with hangovers than Rose did, working it out a lot quicker than she had. He scrambled for a pillow, positioning it to cover as much as he possibly could.

"Did we?"

He didn't need to finish the sentence; her nod answering his unspoken question.

"Fuck."

"I know."

For once, neither of them knew quite what to say or rather how to say it.

"Are you sure?"

"Well let's think about this for a minute Scorp: we get hammered and wake up naked in the Shrieking Shack. What else could've happened?" she snapped.

"Is there really any need to be a bitch? All I'm saying is that I can't remember what the fuck happened last night!"

She ran her hand through her auburn hair, trying to calm down. After all, it wasn't exactly like she could remember much either.

The watch on her wrist – a 17th birthday present – caught her eye and she swore. If they didn't move now they would be late to class.

She began hunting around for her clothes. When she had them in her arms, she looked at Scropius pointedly.

"Really? If what you're saying is true its nothing I haven't seen before." He chuckled before closing his eyes anyway.

* * *

><p>They managed to sneak into Charms moments before the professor, having quickly changed into their uniforms and downing some hangover potion.<p>

"Where have you two been?" hissed Al when they took their seats at the table the three friends shared.

"We had to take a visit to the Shrieking Shack."

Rose watched as her cousin's eyes widened, a worried look on his face. He looked to Scorpius who nodded mutely, not trusting himself to speak. They weren't exactly lying, not really, but he knew Rose was far better had hiding the truth than he was. After being reassured that everything, particularly Rose, was ok, Al didn't ask any questions, knowing his cousin didn't like to speak about what happened when she lost control.

Anyone looking at the trio would have thought everything was perfectly fine but both Rose and Scorpius knew that something momentous had happened, something that would change everything.

Both of them tried to put the incident from their mind, to forget all about it but they had too many questions. They tried to think of some innocent solution, some other scenario that would have resulted in the too of them being naked. In a bed. Together. It was harder than it sounded. Both of them knew far too well that waking up naked the morning after generally meant _something_ had happened. They just didn't know what.

They were sat in lunch when Scorpius gasped. While Al merely looked at him curiously, Rose's head whipped round so fast she thought she had pulled something. He had remembered something, she knew it. He grinned mischievously at her and winked. She felt the famous Weasley blush rise t her cheeks as she tried to work out what exactly he had seen. Although her memory of the night was far from complete, parts of it had crept back into her brain throughout the morning and those snippets had convinced her of one thing.

Last night had gotten hot.

It took all of her self control not to drag him from the hall right then and demand answers. Instead she waited painstakingly until they were walking through the corridors and Al decided to go check on Mia before she dragged him into an empty classroom. A few students laughed at the 'poor guy' when they saw him shoved through the door, thinking he was in trouble again.

"You remembered."

He almost laughed at her angry pout, her arms crossed in front of her chest in defiance.

"Yes...What you going to do? Obliviate me?" The laugh caught in his throat though when he realized she was taking his suggestion seriously.

"Look, Rose I think we really need to talk about this –"

"Or we could forget it ever happened?"

"Was it that bad?" he smiled at her, " Seriously though what about protection? I'm pretty sure we didn't use any."

"I'm on the pill," She said, bluntly, "so unless you've got something else to tell me, I think we're good."

He took a deep breath. If he was going to say it, it had to be now.

"Rose... I'm not sure I want this to be a one time thing," she opened her mouth to say something but he carried on, " from what I can remember last night was, well, amazing, and I haven't been able to get you out my head since. When I was with you, it just felt... right, like it was meant to happen..."

He had never felt as vulnerable as he did then, waiting for her to shut him down. He hadn't realized how important it was for her to say yes until now.

She didn't.

She pressed her lips against his with a ferocity that surprised him.

Sometimes words just don't say enough.


	6. Chapter 6

Rose chuckled when she overheard her younger cousin's conversation. Lily and her 'best friends forever' were gathered in the Gryffindor common room talking about their favourite topic: boys. As far as she was aware they never talked about anything else, all their time dedicated to the 'dreamiest guys ever'. It was something she found endlessly amusing since she knew Lily had two overprotective brothers that would lock her in a closet before even letting her talk to a boy.

She dropped her quill in shock when she heard Scorpius' name from the gossiper's mouth. Glad her desk faced the wall and not the teenagers, she tried to hide her surprise.

She still wasn't entirely sure what was going on between the two of them. They had agreed that it would be best for everyone if they kept things secret, especially since neither of them really knew how to define what was happening. They weren't an official couple, she knew that much. They were just two friends who were having fun, or at least that's what they told themselves.

Both of them knew it couldn't last. When school ended and they lost the privacy Hogwarts gave them, things would change. If the media found out, they would have a field day so since it was their last year, they were going to enjoy themselves. That was all, she told herself.

She certainly wasn't going to complain. Being with Scorpius like that made her feel ...good. He knew all her secrets, knew why this couldn't be a serious relationship, something that had always caused problems before hand. He hadn't been overly enthusiastic when she had given him her terms but he did understand them, or at least the reasons behind them. Rose liked the fact that the two of them could skip the awkward first date stage, since the two of them already knew everything. It certainly made things a lot easier than the other times she had tried dating.

And the sex... It was brilliant. There was no other way to describe it. The two of them had stopped needing words to communicate a while ago but when you took that connection into the bedroom, or rather the Room of Requirement, the results were better than either of them had expected.

The two of them just worked.

The voice of Molly, her cousin caught her attention once again and she couldn't help but smile.

"And when he's in his quidditch robes! He looks amazing!"

_You should see what he looks like without them_, she thought, a wicked grin on her face as she abandoned her essay to find her best friend and lover before dinner

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><p>Al was beginning to worry about his friend. They had meant to meet in the library fifteen minutes ago and Scorpius Malfoy was never late, even if it was to quickly study before heading down to dinner.<p>

For the last few days, it had been happening fairly regularly. He would turn up anything up to thirty minutes later, his face flushed and his excuses getting more unbelievable by the day. Al wondered whether he had found a girl, secretly hoping he had. It was about time he tried to get over Jade. Scorpius had been so cut up over their breakup; it had been heartbreaking for Al to watch let alone live through.

He certainly seemed happier. Al had watched the little smiles his friend kept making with approval. Scorpius walked taller, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

_Maybe it's Lou_, he thought, smiling at the idea of his best friend and the pretty Ravenclaw together. The two had been getting on rather well in Potions recently.

If only he had realized the truth, he probably wouldn't anywhere near as enthusiastic about what Scorpius had been doing with his favourite cousin.

* * *

><p>"Lily..."<p>

"Lily..."

"LILY!"

The redhead finally dragged her gaze from Scorpius to look at her cousin, Lucy.

"  
>What?" she hissed, her annoyance apparent.<p>

"You were staring again –"

Lily quickly motioned for her the other girl to keep her voice down. The Great Hall was filled with students shoveling tonight's delicacies into already crammed mouths and she would sooner have died than have any of them knowing her secret. Molly was the only one she had trusted enough to tell about the feelings she had for her brother's best friend. If Al found out...she shuddered at the thought. She highly doubted he would shout, instead fixing her with that cold stare that filled her with shame. Lily had never once seen her older brother lose his temper, not even when James had set fire to his broom. He had simply walked away. It seemed that Albus Potter was not an angry person.

She had often wondered how the two had come to be friends. They were so different. Al was quiet, shy and extremely calm headed. On the other hand, Scorpius was a lot more like her cousin, Rose. Both had the same thirst for trouble, to live life as if they wouldn't make it to tomorrow. They were passionate people and is often the case, when two strong minded people collide, she had often seen them fighting in the corridors.

It was why she didn't believe the rumours that had been circulating since the pair were in their fourth year at Hogwarts; people in love didn't act like that.

No, Scorpius was too good for her cousin. He deserved some one who would love him unconditionally, not shout at him for the slightest thing.

Lily knew the two of them would be fantastic together. Harry Potter's daughter with a Malfoy! It was so dangerous, a forbidden love. She didn't see how it could be more romantic.

She just had to convince him that she was right.

She had tried to at Wood's party. Dressed in her shortest, tightest party frock, she had done her best to attract his attention. She had only seen him once, dancing idiotically with Rose. _I would never make him look like such a fool,_ she thought,_ he must have been so embaressed._ After that, she had been dragged away by her friends and hadn't seen him for the rest of the night.

Lily was disappointed but not defeated. If he just talked to her properly, she was sure he would see it too. The two of them were meant to be together.

* * *

><p><strong>Well what do you think? Review button is below so feel free to tell me. <strong>

**As always, I want to say a big thanks to everyone that has reviewed or added this story- its a feeling that is very hard to describe. Today, however i want to say a huuuuge thanks to traviswj who never fails to tell me what they're thinking and brings a mahoosive smile to my face every time. **


	7. Chapter 7

"You look so beautiful," Al whispered, absentmindedly playing with a lock of her hair. He knew he sounded cheesy but he didn't care.

Al knew he was in love with his girlfriend. He had always laughed at teenagers who claimed they had met the one until now. Spending the rest of his life with Mia was something he could see him doing. She understood him. Unlike most of the girls who had chased after him, he was Al with her, not Harry Potter's son. She didn't care about his family status or the inheritance he would receive in a few years. She knew the media was an inevitable part of his life and accepted it but he knew she wasn't the kind of person who sought it out.

It was refreshing.

The two of them were in his dormitory, which Al had known it would be empty due to the party the Gryffindors were holding in the common room tonight. He knew his dorm mates were expecting him to 'get some' tonight but that wasn't why he brought her here.

He had told her to dress nicely and then blindfolded her until they reached the doorway. The look of pure joy when she saw the transformation was more than worth all the hard work he had put in. During their lunch break, he and Scorpius had temporarily removed all but one of the beds from the room, exposing a large space where they had placed a small table and two chairs. One of the house elves had agreed to be a waiter, bringing them the finest food Hogwarts kitchens had to offer. He had wanted everything to be perfect and it was.

After their meal, the two had retired to the bed where they had been laid for the past hour, stealing loving kisses. Al knew Mia wanted to wait so he let her take control, moving at her pace. He didn't mind waiting. He had never told any of his friends this, not even Scorpius, knowing they wouldn't understand but for him this was enough. When they did have sex, he wanted her to be completely sure that this was what she wanted, that she could trust him.

He knew the guys would laugh at him for it so he kept his mouth shut. To them it was all about the sex. Even those who hadn't lost their virginity were obsessed with it. He wanted the connection, the intimacy and if they didn't understand that then so be it.

Al guessed that was why he was so protective of his little sister. He knew what guys could be like and wanted to save her from all that pain or maybe it was just a natural instinct. Either way, he had made sure everyone knew that if they hurt Lily Potter, there would be trouble.

He never thought to protect her from those closest to him.

* * *

><p>He couldn't help but be grateful that they had found the empty classroom so quickly He had stayed at the party for as long as he could, using every ounce of his willpower to wait, to not act on the thoughts he had been having since he had seen how stunning she had looked in an oversized shirt and small pair of denim shirts that showed off her legs. When she had bent forward to get a drink, her shirt had gaped slightly, revealing the lace of her bra. He had lost it. Gesturing subtly for her to follow, he had left the celebrations. The two had raced to the nearest classroom, barely managing to keep their hands off each other until they were sure they were alone.<p>

"We'll miss the party," she murmured, trying to ignore the trail of kisses he was leaving on her neck.

His voice was deep with lust when he spoke against her skin, causing her breath to hitch.

"This is much more fun."

Nodding her assent, she turned her face to Scorpius', bringing her lips against his fiercely. He pulled her closer, desperate for the touch. Rose's hands were locked in his blonde hair as the kiss deepened, passion overtaking them.

* * *

><p>Nobody had seen Lily leave the party nor had they noticed the old piece of parchment she held tight in her hand. She couldn't help but smile at how brilliantly things were turning out. When she had seen Scorpius hurry from the party, she had known fate had just given her the perfect opportunity. Dashing upstairs, she grabbed the Marauder's Map from the bottom of her trunk and hastily applied a fresh coat of her lipgloss.<p>

This was it.

She pictured it as she made her way through the corridors. Lily would find him upset and alone, and when she comforted him he would realize what she had known for a while now. He would apologise for ignoring her for all this time, take her hand in his and kiss her. It would be her first real kiss and in that moment, they would realize that they were meant to be together.

In her excitement, she didn't notice that the map showed he was not alone. Instead she barreled ahead, throwing open the classroom door in her haste.

She felt as if she had been hit by a curse when she saw Rose and Scorpius locked in an embrace.

Her cousin was perched on one of the desks, her best friend in front of her, pressing hot, fiery kisses against his lips. She wore only her bra on the top half, her shirt thrown to the floor beside Scorpius' own discarded top.

"No!" she cried, the sound of her devastation ripping the two apart. They looked at her in confusion for a moment before it sunk in. They had been caught.

Guiltily, Scorpius walked away, turning his back to her as Rose jumped from the desk, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Lily... I'm sor-"

She didn't hear the rest, her feet already dragging her away. Tears flowed from her face as she ran. She didn't understand. How could he be with her? They were meant to be together but that stupid cow had run in and spoilt everything.

She ignored the calls of her cousin as she followed behind her, pulling her shirt on as she ran. If only she would stop, Rose knew she could explain. She just needed to make sure she did so before they reached the party. She raced behind, the distance finally closing as Rose's long legs were pushed to their limit. Her hands caught in the fabric of Lily's dress, drawing her to a stop. Rose pulled her around, forcing Lily to look at her

"Lily will you just listen to me! What you saw...it's not what you think. Just... don't tell anyone about this please, for me."

The slap was unexpected, the surprise hurting more than anything else. A look of confusion on her face, she watched her cousin run through the portrait without trying to stop her.

She heard the feet draw beside her but did not turn. She knew it was him.

"Shit," he said, still breathless, as he watched the red hair disappear into the common room.

She nodded her head mutely.

Shit indeed.

* * *

><p>The crowd took in the crying girl with shock. Her friends moved forward to comfort her but she shook their hands from her shoulder in disgust. She needed to find her brother, to know that at least one family member hadn't betrayed her.<p>

He and Mia quickly jumped apart when she stormed into his dorm, thankful that these two were at least fully clothed. As soon as he saw the hurt on her face he ran to her side, coaxing the story from her sobbing chest, his anger growing as he listened.

Mia watched in horror as her boyfriends face darkened, his face twisting with a rage she had never seen before. She had never seen Al this worked up. He was only the calm one. He took everything in his stride.

Until now.


	8. Chapter 8

Rose leant against the wall, her mind reeling as she waited for an acceptable amount of time to pass before she followed Scorpius into the party. She couldn't understand why Lily had reacted the way she did. Obviously, walking in on your cousin while she was with somebody would've have shaken her but this was something more. Her hurt, no _betrayal_, had been obvious on her face when she had cried out.

She was worried. She didn't know what Lily would do, how much damage she would cause. Her cousin wasn't known for being subtle. She said exactly what she thought with no regards for the consequences. The only thing Rose could be grateful for was that James had left. If he had still been at the school, things would have gotten ugly pretty quickly. With any luck, he would never find out.

It was the shouts that shook her from her thoughts. She hurriedly turned to the portrait, who looked at her in curiosity, having seen the scene that had occurred minutes before

"You're not having a good night are you?" the fat lady said but Rose didn't have time to answer, dashing into the common room as soon as the entrance opened.

She almost staggered back with shock when she saw the look on Al's face; she had never seen him so angry. She took in the scene quickly; Al's clenched fist; the way Scorpius was holding his nose and dived between the two of them.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she called out, her own anger rising.

"I'm going to kill that bastard. _That_ is what I'm doing. Now, move out the way Rose. I'll deal with you later."

"No."

"Excuse me?" Al asked, not quite believing her.

She simply repeated it, daring him to challenge her.

And he did.

Al drew his wand from his pocket and fired a disarming spell at her. She blocked it lazily, no longer caring that this was her cousin, her best friend.

"That all you got?"

Their classmates watched in horror as the two of them squared off, mentally looking for the others weakness. Years of friendship meant they knew each other too well, each predicting each feigned movement the other made.

Mia was begging Al too stop but he wouldn't listen. He was a stranger to her now, no longer the caring boyfriend who had planned such a wonderful evening. Determinationwas clear on his face as he sent a spell at Rose, who as she had before merely deflected it, a smirk on her face.

It was Scorpius that realized her intentions, saw that she was scared. If she really began to duel, she would need to tap into her power, something that brought out a fear in her nobody else recognized. To the rest of the crowd, she seemed nonchalant, as if it barely bothered her that her cousin was firing magic at her in rapid succession, desperate to break through to her. It was as if she thought he wasn't even a worthy opponent. He couldn't help the panic he felt; if Al kept pushing her, she wouldn't be able to stop herself. He needed to act quickly.

Luckily for him, the decision was taken from him when the door to the common room swung open to reveal none other than Professor McGonigall, the headmistress. The students quickly scrambled to hide the evidence of their party but for now at least, she took no notice.

"Would someone care to explain what on earth is going on here?"

* * *

><p>Breathing deeply, Rose tried to calm her nerves as she was escorted into Hogsmeade by the Headmistress. It had been one of McGonigall's conditions seeing as Rose wasn't meant to leave the castle. As well as a month's detention, thirty points from Gryffindor (Al gad gotten fifty), she wasn't allowed into Hogsmeade for the rest of the term. The only reason Rose wasn't stuck inside the school was because she had to meet her parents.<p>

For the past week she had been ignoring everybody, especially her best friends, who more than happy to stay out of her way, while she tried to straighten things out in her chaotic mind. She still wasn't entirely sure why either of the cousins had reacted the way they had. Of course, she hadn't expected Al to take it well but it was as if somebody else had taken over him, a stranger. She could still remember the hatred on his face as he had fired spell after spell at her, no longer focused on killing Scorpius but hurting her. And he had. Maybe not in the way he had first intended but the idea that her own flesh and blood had turned on her cut more deeply than any spell ever could. What made it worse was knowing that she had no one to blame but herself.

_You sure made a fine mess of everything. _

But now it was time to face the music. She had to do what she had been doing for years, what she did best. It was time for damage control.

The Hog's Head was almost empty when Rose and the elderly professor entered. Her parents sat close to the door, waiting impatiently. Spotting them, McGonigall nodded before speaking curtly.

"Ron. Hermione. I'll be back in a hour."

Rose gulped slightly when she saw the angry flush on her father's face. Wiping her clammy hands on her jeans, she took a seat across from them. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous after the countless interviews she had given. After all that was the majority of the wizarding community instead of just two people. Perhaps it was because she had never been in serious trouble before, or rather been _caught_ in trouble of this scale. Whenever she and Scorpius had found themselves in similar positions, they had been sure to cover their tracks.

Just thinking about him caused her chest to tighten with sorrow. This was the longest she had gone without talking to him. All the other times they had argued, he had bugged her so much that she had no choice but to forgive him, if only to shut him up.

Then again, they had never slept with each other. There had been plenty of drunken kisses over the years, sure, but it had never gone any further and certainly not repetitively. Even though it was only three weeks ago since they had decided they would 'have their fun' as they had so crudely dubbed it, Rose was filled with regret at how things had turned out. She hadn't meant to develop feelings but she had. When she thought about what she would have to do, the hurt it would cause him, she was filled with a strange sadness.

_No ever said life was easy, you know that_, she reminded herself, before lifting her gaze to meet her parents', her media smile fixed firmly to her face.

It was Hermione who spoke, judging from the way her husband's hand was clenched tightly around his butterbeer, knuckles white with tension, that it would not be wise to let him speak.

"What happened?"

The lies fell smoothly from her mouth and her parents lapped it up easily, desperate to believe their daughter was as innocent as she claimed. Years of practice had taught her to look down as if embarrassed when her story called for it. A part of her wondered if it should be this easy to lie to her own family. It was deceitful, something most people would have accredited to the Slytherin students.

She had always been sure that if her name had been anything other than Rose Weasley she would have been sorted into the infamous house. _The Hat looked at my name, not at me. If my entire family wasn't in Gryffindor, things would have been different_, she thought surely, so sure she didn't deserve to wear the colours of such a brave house.

Nobody had ever told her that sometimes we have to do distasteful things in order to survive.

Her anxiety lessened slightly when she saw the complacent smile her parents shared. It had worked.

Two down.

A few thousand left to go.

* * *

><p>It was two weeks before the interview played on the radio. As she had hoped, most of the students were in their respective common rooms when the cheery witch who hosted the show announced the exclusive interview she had procured. She knew she should probably leave before it became too obvious but her feet would not listen to her. They stayed rooted to the spot as the students caught on, realizing they would finally the answers they had been craving. Perhaps she stayed to see how they took or though she was reluctant to admit it, how a certain blonde haired pureblood took him. When she thought about what she had done, without even consulting him, a sour taste grew in her mouth.<p>

Further thought was snatched from her, however, when she realized the interview had gotten to the point everyone had been waiting for. Students shuffled closer, not wanting to miss a single lie.

"And now Rose, what on earth happened with you and Scorpius Malfoy?"

"Oh Merlin that," the voice, her voice laughed, "It's really embarrassing actually and Scorp will probably kill me for telling you but... oh Merlin... erm basically one of the younger students or someone thought it would be funny to slip us a love potion!"

The host joined her then, their laughs filling the common room. Rose noticed a few of the students smirking as well and realized that they too were going to buy it.

"I think you can probably guess what happened next...but it gets worse. We erm kissed and my cousin walked in, went running to Al who reacted before we have a chance to explain. I think it had to be the worst day of my life! I woke up the next morning when it had worn off like 'you've got to be kidding me?"

Any joy she might have felt at successfully lying to her house was instantly destroyed when she saw pain flash across Scorpius' face. Doing her best to play it off as nothing she followed him to the boy's dormitory, making sure the door was closed firmly behind her.

"Scorp, I'm sor-" she began, figuring it was best to do this quickly before her pride stopped her.

He turned to face her wildly, anger contorting his features as he snapped, "Do you really think sorry is going to cut it? You've done some really shitty things in your time but this?"

"I was trying to help! We needed to get out of this mess and I didn't see you doing anything! We made some mistakes and I cleared it up. Simple as that."

" Mistakes? Nice to know that is what you think. Nice to know that this, that the two of us being together was a mistake to you."

She could feel her temper rising uncontrollably as she listened to him, as the argument rose into a shouting match between the two.

"You knew, when we started_ this_," she gestured wildly between them, "you knew this wasn't a relationship, you knew _why_ it couldn't be – "

"That's where you've got it wrong Rose. You think this could never work because you are Rose fucking Weasley, because you get a whole new set of rules 'coz of who you're parents are but get this into your head: you are not special. You're just like all the other selfish bitches out there. No, actually you're worse than they are. At least they don't pretend to be anything other than a raging slut!"

And with that he was gone, leaving his best friend on the verge of tears.

* * *

><p><strong>Ok, we're getting somewhere. I know some of you may be thinking this is moving fast but its how I imagined Scorpius and Rose; they're both such passionate people that they do clash a lot and have a very explosive relationship. In fact, I've been thinking about all the ideas I've had for these two and I've decided to do sequels simply because some of the stuff I see them doing would only work when they're older and perhaps a little more mature. So I guess this is a prequel or something. Either way I hope you enjoy it. <strong>

**Rose, Rose, Rose, if only you weren't so focused on keeping up your family name and image... **

**Please review - advice is always welcome and if you have any questions I'll do my best to answer them :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Scorpius wasn't very nice in the last chapter was he? Perhaps this might help to redeem my favourite blonde...**

Al walked lazily through the corridors, not really caring that curfew was fifteen minutes ago. After all, he already had a month's worth of detention. How much worse could it get? He didn't even know why McGonigall had seen fit to punish him; he was doing enough of that himself. The shame hadn't left him, not once, since that night all those weeks ago. He had known just how volatile his cousin could be when it came to magic but he hadn't paid any attention to it. He knew fine well how vulnerable she felt when it came to her lack of control but he had kept pushing her, using it to his advantage. It would have served him right if she had snapped.

He wanted nothing more than to apoligise but...he couldn't. On the rare occasion where he managed to catch her alone, the words wouldn't form. In truth, he was scared to. He knew he had done wrong so what if she didn't think he deserved her forgiveness? What then? After all, it had only been one kiss and he had tried to kill them both...It wasn't as if either of them had known what they were doing to his little sister.

_What happened to Gryffindors being brave? I spend most of my time hiding nowadays._ It was true. If he felt ashamed when he thought of Rose, it was ten times worse when it came to Mia. The look on her face when she had seen him, it was something he could never forget. She looked so...disappointed. How could she possibly love him now? He had finally begun to win her trust, to let her know that he would never hurt her before destroying it all in one night.

He had finally reached the entrance to the common room when he saw the two figures huddled in the doorway. With a jolt, he realised one of them was Hugo who was desperately trying to pull a drunken blonde to his feet.

"Al! Give us a hand? He's gone, absolutely gone," One look at his best friend told him it was true. Scorpius eyes were unfocused, an empty bottle of firewhiskey clenched in his hand.

"I found the poor sod giving the password to the wrong portrait."

Scorpius' drunken eyes finally settled on the friend who had tried to kill him mere weeks and he broke out into a grin.

"Hey Al! I was wondering where you've been," his voice grew serious, "I have a problem mate. I need your help."

Taking pity on him, he knelt beside him. Scorpius might have pissed him off big time but Al wasn't heartless. Chances were he wouldn't even remember this in the morning.

"What you do?"

"I broke rule number one but she thinks we're a mistake. A mistake! And then I opened my fat mouth and made her hate me! I'm in love with a girl who hates me. How'd this happen Al?"

Hugo and his cousin shared a look; Scorpius was in love with Rose? This was news to the two of them. Of course, the two were closer than anybody fully understand but Al had never been given any reason to believe they were anything more than friends.

Al knew he should be angry they'd lied to him but he couldn't bring himself to shout at Scorpius when he was in such a pathetic state. Instead he just patted him on the shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting manner.

"I don't know, Scorp, I don't know."

* * *

><p>Scorpius woke the next morning to see a very confused Al looking down at him. He accepted the hangover potion he held out warily, all too aware that things had been a little <em>tense <em>between the two of them. As he felt the pounding in his skull recede, memories of the night before hit him. The betrayal he had felt when he heard what Rose what had done; the callous way he had cut her down; the bottle of firewhiskey he had downed in an attempt to shake the heart breaking look she had given him as he left her alone with tears threatening to spill.

That was something he would have preferred to forget.

"Is it true? Are you in love with Rose?"

Scorpius nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

Al ran his hands through the black hair that was so like his fathers before smiling apologetically at his friend.

"Well that changes everything."

* * *

><p><strong> Okay I know it was super short but i just wanted something in between the two pieces of drama and to offer some explanations.<strong>

**Please read and review :) **

**It might be a while until I get a new chapter up because I'm going home tomorrow! And I get my results and new college and blah blah blah. Basically, things will get busier. **


	10. Chapter 10

"You've got to be kidding me?"

The younger auror merely shook his head, far too intimidated by the famous Harry Potter to say anything. It wasn't that he was a bad boss, it's just that no one wanted to piss off the guy who finally killed Voldemort before he even took his NEWT's. If he could do away with one of the most powerful wizards, he could probably manage to cause serious damage to a newly qualified auror. Right now, he certainly did not look impressed. He was pacing the floors of his office and looked deep in thought. Very angry thoughts. The young man gulped.

Although he was worried and more than a little scared by Potter's reaction, he was in no way surprised. The other aurors had told him a lot about the Death Eater's who refused to accept the outcome of the war. They were dealt with quickly and efficiently with most of it being kept from the public.

But this was something else.

This was organised, and possibly threatening. They were no longer acting alone but banding together, seemingly trying to reinstate order among the dark wizards. The aurors had to act now before they became to powerful, meeting them with a force they could not rival with. If they did that, however, it would not go unnoticed, something Shacklebolt insisted on. If the public found out, they became hysterical and then order would be lost. If order was lost, the Death Eaters would get the success they wanted handed to them by the Ministry.

The young man was drawn from his thought by the authorative tone of his boss who looked almost ashamed as he spoke.

"We keep control. We have to. Just... we've got to keep it quiet."

Harry knew his decision would shock some of his aurors but it had to be done. Of course they had to protect people, that was their job but sometimes you had to make difficult decisions. He knew that by keeping their campaign quiet would mean that some people would get hurt. But if he had learnt one thing from the war, it was that you couldn't save everyone. By not making a scene, he hoped to stop the crisis. It didn't mean that every death he read about wouldn't haunt his sleep like the faces of so many others did.

No matter how hard he tried, they were always there. His mother; his father; Sirius; Lupin; Tonks; Fred; Snape; Dumbledore; Mad-Eye; even Lavender! He could never forget, never _forgive_ himself. That was his punishment.

And it was one that would never end.

* * *

><p>"You could just talk to her Scorp." Al began, absentmindedly pulling his scarf tighter against the winter chill.<p>

"Have you talked to Mia? No? Thought not."

The two friends stood in silence for a while, each consumed by their own problems. They knew they should stop avoiding them - and the girls that were the root of them - but they couldn't, not yet. So instead the two of them spent most of their time at school hiding, neither of them brave enough to face the world just yet. Mia had tried to contact Al numerous times but he couldn't face her. It had taken so much to convince her that he deserved a shot, taken so much of his courage, that the idea of having to do so all over again terrified him. The first time, at least, he had the support of his two best friends. The absence of Rose had not gone unnoticed by either of the boys.

Instead of spending time with them as she normally did, she appeared to have thrown herself into N.E.W.T's preparation, which everyone knew she didn't really need, she was her mother's daughter after all. The rest of the school hadn't seemed to realise that it was a little strange to begin studying so intensely when the exams were months away.

_Then again, they believe everything that comes out of Rose Weasley's mouth_, thought Scorpius sourly, the thought of her only adding the pain he hadn't been able to escape. He wanted to hate her for what she had done with every fibre of his being but...he couldn't.

It wasn't hatred that rose in his chest when he thought of her. When he closed his eyes and saw her auburn hair fanned around as she slept, the way her face lit up when she laughed, pictured the defiant way she would argue with him, there wasn't the slightest hate towards her. There was only the desire to take her in his arms. There was only love.

A love he knew she didn't feel back. Maybe, in time, she could have, but not now. Rose didn't forgive easily. And the things he had said, they were bad, really bad. He had used her biggest weaknesses, her insecurities against her.

Now _that_ he hated.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm baaaack! Ive been super busy but ive finally managed to get my laptop out and try and catch up on all the writing I've fallen behind on .**

**Ill admit I'm not too sure on the first half of this but it is kind of necessary to get where I want to so for that I apologize. **

**Anyway, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed/ alerted/ favourited. If you want to join them, look down and you'll find what you need :)**


	11. Chapter 11

_Ro-Ro,_

_Why is summer so unbelievably boring? I can't step outside the house without that prick form the Daily Prophet trying to ask me a hundred and one questions. I have no idea how you do it. Maybe if the editor had a soft spot for me it would be easier eh? _

_When are you coming to visit? You need to meet the house elf. I know you're mum's a big supporter of them but I bet you even she would find him creepy. His name is Alumit – weird I know._

_Scorp_

* * *

><p><em>Rose Jane Weasley, <em>

_Is that better? I still don't understand what is wrong with Ro- Ro – I think it's cute. But since you insist, I'll do my best not to call you it again. I'm not promising, mind you, it's far too adorable. _

_Dad says the 6__th__ is fine. I'm guessing you'll Floo? That arse of a reporter is still outside so I probably would. _

_Did you do your Charms homework? It's impossible. Of course, you'll probably do it straight away but I'm telling you, it's hard. _

_Scorp_

* * *

><p><em>Rose,<em>

_I'll meet you at the station? _

_We're seventh years now Rose! Seventh Years! Can you believe it? You ready to face the real world. I'm certainly not. I'm crapping myself. I hope I get the grades I need to go to St Mungo's. If I don't, do you reckon your dad and uncle will give me a job? I hope so. _

_A very anxious Scorp_

* * *

><p>A banging on the door caused Rose to drop the parchment to the floor in shock. Hastily gathering the letters she had spent the last hour poring over, she shouted out.<p>

"One minute!"

She quickly shoved all of Scorpius' letters into a box, wiping her eyes on her sleeve as she went. It sounded as if someone was about to break the door down as she hurried across the dormitory, ripping it open and snarling.

" I said one min- Lily..." Recovering quickly, Rose gestured for her cousin to come in, casually covering the box before taking a seat on the bed opposite the one Lily had taken,

"Lily I'm," she paused, drawing in a shaky breath, "I'm sorry for what happene-"

"Al sent me. I didn't want to come but he said I should speak to you." Lily said, fixing her cousin with a cold stare. "He said I should tell you what I told him."

She continued when her cousin nodded, looking uncharacteristically close to tears.

"When I saw the two of you...together... I ran because... I...I felt as if...ilikescorpius. There I said it." she looked down quickly, as if ashamed. When the room stayed silent, she slowly raised her gaze, surprised to see the tears falling freely from her cousin's face and guilt flashing across it.

"I didn't know. Lily, believe me, I didn't know. I am so so sorry."

And, this time, Lily believed her.

* * *

><p>They weren't meant to be in a room together. In fact, it was something the two of them had been desperately avoiding, knowing it would be disastrous. Circumstance, it seemed, had other ideas. Coincidence had resulted in their joint detention and Professor Longbottom, the teacher on duty, being called to investigate claims of some fourth years setting off fireworks in the boys' bathroom.<p>

The two friends, lovers, strangers stared at each other, neither one finding the courage to make that first offering of peace. Minutes stretched. Words failed to make it pass unwilling lips until eventually Rose managed to coax one tentative smile from them.

And then, finally, the gesture turned into one word, a name that was whispered almost inaudibly. If he hadn't been so desperate for contact, for her, he may have noticed the mask she so often wore was firmly in place.

"Scorp.. What I did was wrong, I admit that but we both know that this cannot work." she paused then as if waiting for his confirmation. Instead, he managed to force a question into the heavy silence.

"Why not?"

" Because it's selfish. I want it to work. I want it so badly Scorp but it won't. You've got to understand that. How can we justify our happiness when it is causing so much pain to everybody else? It's hurting them, Scorp, can't you see it? Al and Lily won't be the only ones. If this gets out, it is going to cause nothing but problems." She had risen now, crossed the room to stand by him as she had so many times before. Slowly, tentatively she cupped his face with a palm, forcing him to meet her gaze, begging hime to understand.

"You and I just weren't meant to be Scorpius."

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><p><strong>An: Review button is just below ;)**

**Thanks to everyone who has supported this story; it means a lot. Like I mentioned previously, the end of Inhertiance will not be the end of Rose and Scorpius' story. I have decided to do it in three parts, the second of which will be set a few years after this and the third when the two if them are in their mid to late twenties. When I pictured these two, I saw them as a couple who never seem to get it right. The second and third parts of this will be the them trying to and life intervening. **

**The first instalment is drawing to a close now although I don't think it is going to be a happy one. But like I said, there is more to come. If you want it? I hope you do because I have some ideas about where this is going since I felt that some of the stuff would only really work when the two of them were more mature.**

**Until next time. **


	12. Chapter 12

**I wasn't sure of the best way to do this and you may find it a bit confusing but basically it cuts between the events in Rose and Scorpius' homes during the holidays.**

**Enjoy.**

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><p>"Welcome home sweetheart."<p>

Rose allowed herself to be enveloped in her mother's arms, taking comfort from it. For the first time in seven years, she was glad to be away from Hogwarts. The castle that had long been her sanctuary had become a cell. The walls caged her in. There wasn't enough air. There wasn't enough space, there was never enough space. He was too close in the school. The blonde hair she had always loved was always there in the crowd, reopening the wounds she was s desperately trying to forget.

To have been so close and then to lose him, at her own hands, it was the cruellest torture you could inflict on a person. There was a void in her life now, one she knew would not be filled in the near future. His absence was so overwhelming...

She physically shook her head, hoping it would clear the mess inside it.

It didn't.

The best she could do was go through the motions, pretend everything was alright even though she wanted nothing more than to scream until her throat grew hoarse. She could feel it clawing at her chest, desperate to get out.

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><p>She made sure she was alone when she finally let herself cry. Her parents were at the Burrow with her brother, having left her with her textbooks. When she heard the front door close, she drew the photo album from its shelf. Her fingers traced the moving images of the two of them laughing, smiling, happy. As she watched him chase her through the park, her eyes glazed over. Within seconds the sobs were ripped from her body unrelentingly. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't catch her breath. They came too quickly, her whole body shaking in her grief.<p>

Panic joined her grief when the pounding in her skull began. She was too far gone to even attempt to control it. Instead, she could only watch in horror as the books flew from their shelves, landing with a thud on the carpet. The small figurine she had been given as a tenth birthday present was now mere shards on the floor. Her body felt as if it was trying to tear itself apart, the pain unbearable.

_Where is he? _She thought, eyes on the door, hoping to see the familiar face coming through it. _He's always here. Always._

As the blackness consumed her, the last thing she saw was the closed door.

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><p>"Rose? Rose can you hear me?"<p>

* * *

><p>He could see Draco Malfoy bent over his desk as he made his way through the corridors. His family were in the garden; he had made sure of it. That's what his master had told him to do.<p>

And house elves always follow orders.

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><p>Groggily, Rose opened her eyes, surprised to see the concerned faces of most of her family looking down at her and the clinical walls of St Mungo's around them.<p>

"What happened?" she croaked, her voice raspy.

"We don't know Hugo found you unconscious and brought you straight here." Said her Aunt Ginny.

* * *

><p>His head whipped up when the house elf entered, curiosity clear on his face.<p>

"Is there a problem Alumit?" he asked, not unkindly.

"No. I'm just following my master's orders."

"Scorpius? I'm sorry Alumit but I can't recall giving you any orders."

"The Malfoys are not my masters." Said the house elf, defiantly, his grip tight on the hilt of the dagger that had been entrusted to him.

* * *

><p>Her parents waited until everyone but their son had left before they asked the question they had been dying to.<p>

"It's gotten worse hasn't it?"

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><p>Draco's wand was in his pocket of the jacket he had left in the hall, leaving him defenceless. The surprise still showed on his face as the blade pierced his skin, again and again. Even when the life had been driven from his eyes, the house elf brought the knife down repeatedly into the pale body of the man he had pretended to serve.<p>

"The Malfoys are not my masters. They are not my masters."

He hadn't even had the chance to scream.

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><p>Hermione took her daughter's hand in her own and gave it a reassuring squeeze.<p>

"Don't worry, dear, it'll all be ok."

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><p><strong>AN: There is only one teensy weeny chapter of Inheritance left... but don't worry it is no where near the end of the story :)**

**What I do want to know is whether you would prefer it if I put it all under Inheritance and just put a note at the start explaining the time difference or whether it would be best to put it in a new story? Either private message me or put it in your review please. **

**That's my subtle way of saying review please! **

**Again, Thank you . **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I told you it would be short...**

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><p>Rose watched as her uncle crossed the room before gesturing for her parents to step aside. When they thought they were out of earshot, he begin speaking in hushed tone, clearly stressed. She strained slightly to hear what they were saying and when she did, she threw back her covers hastily.<p>

Draco Malfoy murdered? It couldn't be true. Who would do something like that? He may not have always done the right thing but he had really tried to redeem himself after the war. Even her dad didn't exactly hate him any more. He had been nothing but helpful in the investigations the Ministry had held.

Draco was not a bad man so why would someone kill him?

_Oh Merlin! Scorpius! _

She had to find him. Him and Draco had been so close; they had the kind of relationship most parents dreamed of having. This would tear him apart. She needed to be there for him, regardless of what had happened between them. He was her best friend and she wasn't going to let him go through this on his own.

"Rose! What are you doing? The healer told you to stay in bed," her mother said, clearly concerned.

She shrugged her brother's hand from her shoulder and struggled to her feet, her legs barely managing to support her. Rose waited for a moment for the dizzy sensation to recede before apparating to the Malfoy manor. She grasped at the intricate oak banister for a minute to steady herself as her vision blurred.

"Miss, I'm afraid you can't be in here it's Ministry officials on-" she didn't wait to hear what else the man had to say, already weaving through the corridors she knew so well.

Rose found him quickly enough, sat on the four poster bed she had often mocked him about. There was nothing to laugh at now. The boy who never failed to bring a smile to her face was now curled in on himself, his knees drawn to his chest. His eyes were red rimmed and bloodshot, his pain evident.

He didn't look up when she entered, transfixed by the family photo on his bedside table. Rose crossed the room quickly and joined him on the bed wrapping her arms around him as if he were little more than a child, his head resting on her shoulder. They sat that way for what seemed like hours, neither of them speaking, until he could cry no more. She noticed absentmindedly that the front of her hospital gown was wet through but couldn't bring herself to care. Not when her best friend was being torn about by sorrow.

Her voice louder than she had thought it would be, she whispered to him.

"What do you need, Scorp? Tell me what you need."

A long moment passed before he spoke, his voice hoarser than she had ever heard it.

"I need..." he took a shaky breath before meeting her gaze, finding comfort in her eyes, "I need my best friend back."

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><p><strong>AN: And that is Part 1 complete! Thank you so much for all your help and support; I hope you enjoyed it!**

**We will be back with part 2 soon although I will be keeping it within this story. Oooh I'm so excited :D **

**I know this was uber short (you had fair warning) but I thought it was really important and helps set up part 2**


	14. Chapter 14

_Three years later..._

Rose lifted her head in time to see Zed, her colleague and close friend, weaving towards her desk, his robes an unusual shade of orange. Or at least it would have been unusual if it was anybody else. Zed was a very flamboyant man. She quickly put down her quill, knowing from past experience he would be staying a while.

With a strangely feline smile on his face, he deposited a carrier bag on her desk.

"You went into Muggle London?" she asked, genuinely shocked. As far as she knew, it would be the first time he had.

"Not exactly. I sent one of the new interns –" she opened her mouth to tell him, for the hundredth time, that they weren't his slaves but he simply raised one jewelled hand, cutting her off.

"But that's not the point. You've been through a tough time so I bought you ice cream."

A small sigh escaped her lips. She was beginning to regret showing him her collection of romantic comedies. Since then, he had been obsessed with the idea of a fairytale romance and she didn't have the heart to tell him that life didn't always work that way.

"_I _broke up with Dan remember?" he shrugged, as if it were inconsequential, "which means I don't actually need break up food."

"You're not even a little upset?"

Was she? They had only dated for a month, if that, and though he was a nice guy, she couldn't bring herself to feel anything more than friendship.

"No. I'm not. He deserves someone who cares about him? If anything, I'm annoyed. Now, I'll be the only singleton tonight."

"Ah yes. Tonight. Why can't you just go by yourself?"

"Scorpius is introducing us to his latest girlfriend and Al's been whipped for years. It would just be awkward."

_Not to mention I used to sleep with one of them._

"I'll go with you."

Even though they had been friends since the two of them joined the Department of International Relations, Rose was still shocked by Zed's bluntness. What he thought and what he said were exactly the same, even it wasn't always appropriate. Which was why Rose hadn't told him what she had gotten up to with her best friend while the two of them was at Hogwarts; the chances of him blurting something out were extremely high.

Bringing Zed along tonight wasn't a terrible idea though. He was a good guy after all. And even if he wasn't exactly a date, it would be better than being the only one to turn up alone. Besides, who knew how long it would be before she got to see Al and Scorpius? It was hard enough to find an evening when they were all free without cancelling on a whim. Her cousin would be heading back to Hogwarts to teach transfiguration soon and training to be a healer meant Scorpius rarely had the time to breathe anymore.

"We're meeting outside the Leaky Cauldron at 6."

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><p>Zed was late. It had taken him far too long to settle on his teal robes and now Rose was going to kill him. He knew this was a big deal, some kind of test. Being introduced to Al and Scorpius was the equivalent to Rose asking you to move in. The amount, she talked about them, almost subconsciously, it was clear how much they meant to her.<p>

Red in the face from rushing, he pushed his way inside only to stop moments later, jaw lax with shock.

He was seeing a new Rose. Head thrown back in laughter, she looked more relaxed than he had ever seen her. Until now, Zed had never noticed the constant tension in her shoulders, the wary glance she cast around a room. He couldn't help but wonder why; what had made her so untrusting? So scared of showing vulnerability, of letting her guard down? It was in that moment that Zed realised how little he really knew about his so called friend. She had been so skilful at avoiding questions about her personal life he hadn't even realised it had happened. A strange feeling of hurt blossomed in his chest, competing with a curiosity he couldn't control. He wanted to know.

"Zed! Over here!" she began, waving him over. She began to introduce him to the assembled group, starting with her cousin, Al Potter, who seemed strangely reserved for the son of a celebrity. _Or maybe that's why_, he mused as he took in the quiet man and the young witch whose hand he held. Next was a raven haired girl, with a brooding pout called Meg. Her arm was clenched rather possessively around a man with the famous good looks of the Malfoy family. Scorpius Malfoy. Another favourite in the papers, most recently for his work at St Mungo's. There were still people who didn't understand that the past was exactly that. Not that Scorpius had given them any reason to doubt his integrity. As far as Zed knew, he was a good man and had no skeletons in his closet, so to speak. Though if the rumours were true, there were quite a few in his bedroom...

Forcibly dragging his gaze from the handsome blonde and trying to stop the blush from spreading across his cheeks, Zed took his seat next to Rose. He had known Malfoy was handsome but Merlin! He was pretty sure he would be a visitor in his dreams for the next few nights.

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><p><strong>AN:**

**So here is the second part of Inheritance. Or at least, the start of it. You know me, I like to ease you into things before all the drama starts. **

**There it is then: three years later and my favourite Gryffindors are growing up! I just hope they handle things better this time...**

**Read and review – you know you want to ;)**


	15. Chapter 15

Rose stood in front of her wardrobes, nursing a large cup of coffee and an intense hangover. Despite her protests of having to work in the morning, the new day had been well under way before she had finally made it into her own bed. Her friends had gradually said their goodbyes until only Scorpius and her herself had remained when they had decided to stagger back to her own apartment. After all, it was closest and neither of them were in any state to apparate. And if she was to be honest, she got the impression Scorp hadn't really fancied seeing Meg, who had spent most of the night sporting the foulest, and most petulant, scowl Rose had seen since leaving Hogwarts.

The two women had never gotten on too well, each of them wary of the other. Rose couldn't stand her demanding and childlike behaviour when it came to her boyfriend. She couldn't shake the feeling that Meg was with him because he was a Malfoy and likely to attract the attention. Admittedly they did make a good looking couple, with Meg's preened image and the way Scorpius seemed to grow into his striking features on a daily basis. The media loved them; the Malfoy wonders beautiful girl and break from his family's less honourable traditions had caused quite a stir. Not that Meg seemed to do anything. From what Rose could tell, her job was ensuring she was perfectly groomed at all hours. And making things difficult for the man she 'loved', of course.

_But Scorpius likes her_, Rose reminded herself, _it's not your place to judge..._

She could help herself though. She had born witness to countless arguements between the pair and heard of hundreds more. Poor Scorpius was spreading himself far too thin trying to please. What with his medical training and commitments with the media, the unfortunate guy was always so busy but he never failed to make the effort when it came to Meg. Even if he had to race from the night shift, he made every brunch, lunch and dinner date she made with the pompous socialites Meg called her friends. Not that it was ever enough. She moaned until he brought her flowers, simpered until he dropped everything to run to her and cried in that pathetic, snivelly way she had if she didn't get what she wanted. Rose knew she would have made a fuss about tonight, claiming she was too tired to spend the night with people who ignored her, who had never really liked her. The girl must be clueless if she hadn't worked out why she had yet to win the approval of Scorpius' best friends.

Rose ran her hands along the hangers, trying to pick out a half decent outfit for the pointless interview she had scheduled this morning without accounting for the pretty awful headache she was trying to ignore. It was the last thing she wanted to be doing right now but she had long since given up moaning about it; it had been a part of her life for so long now she could barely imagine what it would be like to not have her every move analysed by the wizarding community. Not that she didn't wonder sometimes. Occasionally, when she was alone or stressed, she would think about how different things could have been if she hadn't been born a Weasley. Would she have met someone? What job would she have been doing? Maybe, she could have found a place in the country, got a dog, not had to worry about privacy charms or interviews or 'exclusive access. She wouldn't have been obligated to sit through lengthy meals or nod with a forced interest to the drawl of the dullest politicians. Even better, she could have spent her morning cocooned in her duvet rather than dragging it to this stupid interview at such an ungodly hour.

With a sigh , she pulled two dresses from the rail and laid them on the bed before her, trying to decide which one would be more appropriate. Pulling the first over her head, she scanned the reflection in front of her before crinkling her nose in disgust. Nope. She changed it for the second, before throwing that one to the floor beside the first. Rose could tell it was going to be one of those days. Her head hurt, she felt gross and nothing quite looked right. All she wanted was to throw on some sweats and spend the day collapsed on her couch. She recrossed the room, now only clad in her underwear and angrily rifled through her clothes, as if they were to blame for the foul mood she was in. How was it that all the clothes she actually liked had magically disappeared? Or was it just that right now she liked nothing? She didn't know, nor did she really care. She was seriously considering calling and postponing – something she made a habit of never doing - when she heard the gravelly voice from her doorway.

"Drink this," he said, making his way towards her, "it'll help with that headache,"

Rose scowled at her best friend but took the hangover potion from him anyway, knowing it was one thing Scorpius was brilliant at concocting. She downed it in one, before setting the vial on her dresser and taking in the dishevelled man crossing her bedroom. Without a word, he opened the bottom drawer in her dresser and drew out the clean clothes he kept there for situations just like this.

"You heading in the shower?" she asked, hanging up the dresses she had thrown to the floor as she did so. She heard him murmur his assent, knowing he knew his way around her apartment well enough to find everything he would need. Rose was concentrating on her wardrobes when he called over his shoulder.

"Rose? Wear the blue dress."

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><p><strong>I'm back! Long break, I know and I'm sorry but sometimes life intervenes even if i had the best intentions!<strong>

**So this chapter was just to keep everyone up to date and to show you that despite all the drama in their seventh year, Rose and Scorpius are still best friends and do get on as well as they ever did :)**

**I need to say thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed and favourited both this and my other fanfics (This Haunting Song and Dont stand to close to me) while ive been away and encourage you to keep it up. It really does mean so much! :D**


	16. Chapter 16

"Shut it..." Zed muttered, carelessly batting his arm in the vague direction of the less than glamorous bird he had inherited from his sister. The creature never ceased to annoy him. He had been meaning to replace it for months but there always seemed to be some other expense to be covered first. There had been the poltergeist to deal with in the first few weeks of moving in and then the damage that had caused to repair. And then of course, there had been his weakness for new robes to fund. Needless to say, he hadn't had enough spare money around to justify buying a new owl just yet, even if the current one insisted on waking him every single morning at an ungodly hour just because the paper had arrived. Knowing fine well, the animal wouldn't cease his awful screeching until it was fed, Zed dragged himself from the comfort of his bed, making sure to move his fingers before the idiot of an owl mistook them for breakfast.

He threw the paper on top of the clutter that had accumulated on his kitchen counter before waving his wand towards the kettle. Zed rubbed the sleep from his eyes impatiently, barely suppressing a yawn. He hated mornings.

It was only after shovelling breakfast into his mouth and downing the coffee he had made that he finally made a grab for the Daily Prophet. He let out a low whistle when he saw the picture adorning the front page. Rose looked... stunning. There was no other way to describe it. She was waving, a smile dominating her face. The blue in her dress only served to highlight the fiery locks he loved so much. He flicked to page 4, where the interview was and scanned through the text. She was her usual bubbly self, it seemed. Even just reading this, he could understand why so many people loved her let alone spending as much time with her as he did. Suddenly, there was something which caught his eye, something that caused that small spark of hope to ignite with a ferocious intensity.

_**You're notoriously quiet about your love life, Rose. Is there anybody special in your life at the moment? **_

_(laughs) right now? I'm single. I mean I'm trying to date but I'm just so busy! _

_**What are the rules you wouldn't break then? Would you date a co-worker? A friend? **_

_Either! Both! At the end of the day, I think you need to be with someone you. It shouldn't matter whether you work with them or you class them as a friend as long as they make you happy –_

All of a sudden, Zed had a feeling today wouldn't be as bad as he had first worried.

* * *

><p>The witch sighed, causing a tremble of fear to ripple through the messenger's body. This was one woman who didn't follow the old age phrase when receiving bad news. With a cautious look, he watched her replace the lipstick on the dresser in front of her. She rose in a fluid motion and came towards him with a slow deliberate gait. Even in his fear, he couldn't deny she was a beautiful woman. Her skin was pale, as if she rarely went outside, her eyes dark and intriguing. It was little wonder she had the support of so many disgruntled wizards. You were lured in by her beauty and held hostage by her cruelty. There was no escape when her lacquered were latched in your skin. She was not a woman you walked away from, that was for sure.<p>

"Put him over there." She drawled, pointing lazily at the chaise longue in the corner of the magnificent chambers. He stumbled once while racing to meet her demands, struggling to regain his balance as she laughed, once, short and harsh. The witch never did anything quickly. When she spoke, each word was drawn out which only made the trepidation so much worse. You knew everything she did was deliberate. If you crossed her, you could be sure she would think of how to hurt you personally, to find your personal hell and drag it to your feet.

He watched as she ran her hands down the dead man's cheek, caressing him. Her hand lingered for a moment, as she closed her eyes. The minute dragged and he couldn't shake the feeling he was interrupting something he shouldn't be. He was about to leave when that slow, sensual voice began again.

"There is only so long we can hide in the shadows. We are not cowards. They think they can kill us," she opened her eyes in a flurry of fury and met his anxious gaze, "Like we are pests, _vermin_. That was their first mistake."

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><p>Finish the report<p>

File the information from Steve

Call Mum

Rose mentally ran through the list of things she had left to do as she hurried back to her office, seriously regretting her choice of footwear today. If she had known she would have been this busy, she definitely would have worn flats. As it was, a niggling ache had developed in her feet and she was pretty sure she would find plenty of blisters when she finally got back to her apartment late tonight. Not that she really had time to worry about that. Along with all the work she had left to do before she left here, she was expected to attend some family dinner tonight that, in true Weasley style, was unlikely to finish before late. Normally the idea of seeing her family would have brought a smile to her face but she right now she was so tired, no exhausted, she couldn't think of anything worse. Her only hope was that she could sink into one of the plush couches her mother had bought a few years ago when redecorating and not move for the rest of the night. The problem with such a large family that you barely had to lift yourself from a seat before it was snatched by some weary relation. Not tonight though. Oh no. If any of her cousins so much as looked at her seat she would be sure to send a less than pleasant spell their way...

Confusion, and a hint of pleasure, ran through her when she spotted the large, ornate flowers that had appeared on her desk while she had been in the meeting. Carefully depositing the stack of paperwork she had so precariously balanced in her arms on a filing cabinet, she made her way towards them. She drew in a deep breath, a large smile forming on her face when the fragrant smell filled her nostrils. She loved flowers. She took in the multitude of petals arranged so lovingly, spotting many of her favourites among the bunch. A daisy. A petunia. Some lavender. It was beautiful.

Her mind whirling from trying to guess the person she was so grateful to, she picked up the small card that could be found tucked behind a tulip. There was no name, just an inscription. Unbidden, a small smile formed on her lips as she read it once, twice, her lips forming the words as she breathed them aloud to the empty room.

_Rose, in the hope that these make you happy..._


	17. Chapter 17

Scorpius dragged his hands through his blonde hair in exasperation. He had had enough. He was exhausted. He hadn't slept properly in weeks and now he had spent his day off arguing with the woman he was meant to love. The day had started well enough; they had gone for lunch. Just the two of them and at first he had relished spending time with her away from the gaggle of witches she spent all her time with. That was how it had been when they had first met. They would spend hours on end together, walking through the grounds of her parents' estate, stealing kisses over leisurely picnics.

That had been a long time ago.

Now she was bored by his tales of St Mungo's and try as he might, he couldn't give a damn about the caterers Sophie had used at her last event. They simply didn't have anything in common anymore. There was nothing holding them together. He had though moving into this apartment would have helped, as if being shielded from prying families would have helped them blossom but it seemed it had had the opposite effect. Things had stagnated and you couldn't hide that when there were only two of you. They were desperately clinging on to the past and hoping that was enough.

She had stormed out when he had told her he had to work during her latest social event, slamming the door behind her with her usual dramatic flair. Scorpius had been sat on their bed since she had left trying to find the strength to fight for his relationship. Glancing over at the clock on his side – she hadn't emerged before eleven since he had known her – he saw that he was already nearly an hour late for dinner at the Weasley's and she had been missing for nearly twice that time.

_Screw her_, he thought bitterly to himself.

It certainly didn't look like she was coming home to any time soon and the Weasley's had never been a particularly punctual family. Even Hermione had slackened on the time-keeping front in recent years. If he went now, they would probably still be sitting around drinking tea and catching up.

Brushing the creases from his trousers he apparated to the all too familiar abode. She would just have to wait.

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><p>Hermione noted the tension in her husband's shoulders with worry. Of course, his life as an auror was meant to stay in the office but it seemed old habits remained. She had been the first one both her best friends had turned to when things got…prickly with the dark wizards. And she had been just as concerned as they were. This felt like the old days, before the war, before they almost lost everything. And it was only getting worse.<p>

Glancing over her family crowded into the living room, with every available surface a temporary perch, she wondered how they would cope. They had made sure Rose and Hugo had been raised as children of peace and there was no way she would let them anywhere near any conflict. It was unfathomable. Her children were smart and strong , there was no denying that, but she wouldn't let them go through what they had. They were still too young. Rose may have moved out now and her control was getting better by the day but she was still Hermione's little girl.

As for the rest, there were a few too many grey hairs and wrinkles for Dumbledore's Army to reform now. They had done their fighting and become complacent in the years since Voldemort had been defeated.

For the hundredth time that week, she hoped Ron and Harry would fix this before it came to even more violence.

* * *

><p>It had been Hugo who had answered the door and welcomed into the room which seemed to be bursting at the seams with redheads. He was handed a cold bottle and engulfed. Spotting James and his now heavily pregnant girlfriend across the room, he raised his drink to them and was offered a beaming smile in return. Automatically, he felt a smile tug at his own lips and relaxed. It certainly felt better being here than cooped up in that empty flat all night. It just felt right.<p> 


	18. Chapter 18

His mum really had outdone herself this time. Skilled witch though she was, Hermione had never quite mastered cooking. Sure, she knew the theory behind it perfectly but even after years of practice she still hadn't actually managed to put this into practice. It was a long standing joke in the family and so nobody had been surprised when the sausages emerged as charcoal and the mash as rather lumpy mountains of barely cooked potatoes. She had long since given up being embarrassed by it and smiled good naturedly when Hugo had chuckled at and risen to place their usual order at the local muggle takeaway they so regularly called upon. From the living room, he could hear her mumbling to herself about she was 100% she had managed it this time.

"Practice makes perfect," his dad chimed, his usual response to his wife's numerous culinary failures. So far the standard Weasley-Potter gathering.

But then he heard gasps and exclamations from the room next door and couldn't help but stick his head round the kitchen door only to be greeted with the sight of the whole family gathering around Al and his new fiancé, judging by the ring everyone was clambering to get a look at. Hugo bustled into the room, with a jubilant grin on his face. A family wedding! Al and Mia would be the first of the cousins to marry (excluding Dominique of course but her vows had been taken under some foreign waterfalls with none but their backpacking friends as witnesses) and quite frankly, this particular union had been a long time coming. He clapped his cousin on the back with glee.

"Well done mate. Good to see you _finally _worked up the courage eh?"

"Apparantly there's an expiry date on being a girlfriend that us mere males are not aware of." Albus quipped, planting a loving kiss on Mia's forehead, who slapped him playfully on the chest.

"Hey! I was patient for five long years!"

* * *

><p>"You really don't have to worry about that Scorpius dear," called Hermione as she watched him pile the empty cartons in the bin, "Run home and see Meg. She'll be wondering where you got to!"<p>

She must have sensed she had said something wrong because she was at his side in an instant, her hand resting against his arm in a comforting manner. A maternal concern in her eyes filled him with love as she looked at the purplish skin under his eyes and weary stance. But raising two teenagers had taught her not to pry so as she rubbed his arm in the circular manner she had used to comfort her own children, she decided to leave his relationship well alone until he presented his troubles to her. Then she would make him a nice cup of tea and enfold him in a loving hug. But not before.

"You know, it's probably a bit late to head back now. You'll only wake her. Take yourself up to Rosie's room and stay the night dear."

Hermione was rewarded with a gracious and more alarmingly, relieved smile as the boy she had come to love as one of her own sloped from the kitchen he had spent so much time in.

* * *

><p>They had pretty much left Rose's room when she had left, although it was devoid of many personal items that could be found in her new flat. They said it was "just in case" but Scorpius knew they had been worried by her living by herself. They all had. The 'incidents' as she insisted on referring to them as had been scarily frequent and intense in their seventh year and no one could bear the thought of one occurring when she was by herself. Anything could happen. She had broken her arm once when she had caused a bookcase to collapse on top of her. Luckily Hugo had found her and managed to move her before something more serious could happen but it had weighed heavily on their minds as she was treated in St Mungo's.<p>

But Rose was a stubborn girl and had been adamant that she could not let this rule alive. So she moved out, reluctantly agreeing to certain conditions. She had to keep in regular contact and her owl had been trained to come straight to her parent's house if something was amiss. It wasn't a foolproof plan but so far they had managed to keep her safe.

A year or so ago, Scorpius had even managed to stumble upon some ancient draught that had originally been used to momentarily strip convicts of their powers that she consumed when the warning signs begun. Between that and her coaching with her Uncle Harry, who knew all too well about wayward and unusual powers, it seemed that Rose was finally learning the control they all desperately wanted for her. And she seemed happy. He couldn't deny that. She loved her job – anyone could see that – and even been dating in the last couple of years, something Scorp had yet to make his mind up about. On the one hand, he didn't want her to be alone but that hypocritical side of him struggled to cope with seeing her with anyone else. As selfish as it was, he preferred her single.

He just couldn't really pinpoint why.

Their little…adventures at Hogwarts had long since been at the back of his mind and he hadn't exactly been chaste over the years…

It was just…

Rose always seemed so suffocated in a relationship. There had been many a morning when he would find her at his doorstep and in desperate need of space.

She hadn't exactly made the best choices either. They were all too boring, too talkative, too short. No. None of them had been good enough for his friend and that was why he had such an issue with her dating. Perhaps if she found someone more suitable, he would find it easier to accept.

Not that his own love life had taken such a great turn recently. He was beginning to wonder if he had and Meg had reached the end of the road. But was he ready to give up? He wasn't so sure. Scorpius had been jealous when he had seen the exquisite jewel on Mia's finger and the contented smiles the couple had shared all evening. He missed those secret glances. With a sigh he lowered himself on to his friend's single bed. For some reason he couldn't forget the time he had sat here when he was fourteen or maybe fifteen with Al next to him and Rose rummaging through the closet to his right. They had spent many an afternoon here. How simple everything had seemed then! Laughing as she had thrown a chocolate frog at each of them from the supply she had always kept behind her handbags. If he looked hard enough, he would probably find some other secret stash in her new apartment. She had always had a sweet tooth.

He lay down, contended by his memories and trying not to think of his troubles, suddenly placated by this familiar room in a safe house with a family he loved as well as his own.

That night he slept better than he had in weeks.

The next morning, Hermione smiled to herself as she noted his still sleeping form, fully clothed and above the covers. Despite her husband's protests that he always listened to the radio before work, she made sure Scorpius slumbered in a silent household before she left, leaving a note on the kitchen table for when he finally awoke of his own accord.


	19. Chapter 19

The flat was empty when he returned. Sighing, he lazily waved his wand at the kettle on the stove before reaching for a mug from the rack. In doing so, he glanced down and spotted almost inconsequentially, two mugs left haphazardly in the sink, their bottoms stained brown from their newly consumed contents. What interested him most however was the slightest imprint of his girlfriend's rouged lips on the china. So she had come back last night, or at least at some point this morning.

But more worryingly was the second mug and the mark of some smaller lips in a light pink colour. Which meant that one of her goddamn friends had been here too.

He let the mug fall as he made his way to their bedroom, dread rising in his chest. As much as he wanted to avoid this, his feet had a new found autonomy and hastened with every step until he was running through the apartment they had shared.. He wrenched open the wardrobe doors and was greeted by a void. Of course his clothing remained but its female partners had been stripped from their hangers. The space looked destitute now it was stripped from her rows of colourful dresses and shoes. In a state of disbelief, he pulled all the drawers from their runnings but they too just highlighted her absence. Even her toothbrush had been taken from the holder she had chosen with excitement just a few months before. He had stood idly by smiling at whatever she had handed him, unbothered by the options but content in the bliss she showed as she shopped.

Surprised by the hurt in his chest, he sank down until he was perched on the edge of the bathtub, his fingers still clasped around the toothbrush holder. Of all things, it was this inanimate object that made him wanted to cry more than he had in years.

Sure, they'd had their problems and if he was totally honest, there were moments when he had wanted nothing more than to walk away. But he hadn't. Scorpius had wanted to give them a chance. He had always been a romantic, holding out for his fairytale ending, even if he would never admit that. His father had always said it was his greatest dream for Scorpius – to find a woman who made him happy and gave him the security Draco himself had so craved before he met his wife. And maybe, just maybe that woman could have been Meg. It had certainly been his longest and most serious relationship.

To think that she hadn't even wanted to give them a chance….

That had been what had hurt the most. How easy it had been for her to leave everything. She packed her bags, had a cup of goddamn coffee with her friend and strolled out of the home they had shared.

Suddenly enraged, he threw the pot against the wall, gratified to see the shards of ceramic falling through the air and hitting the tiles _she _had chosen with a satisfying clunk.

And then he apparated.


	20. Chapter 20

Scorpius was drunk.

Very very drunk.

She noticed the way he swayed on his feet and pulled him through her open door, closing it swiftly behind her. Rose didn't really want the neighbours asking why her friend had turned up on her doorstep blind stinking drunk at 6 pm. She had been in the bath, trying to wash away the aches from a hard day's work when she had heard the pounding at her door followed by a sing song voice calling out her name. Or rather the version of her name she had adamantly refused since she was ten years old, elongated into a shrill note.

_Roooooosieeeee._

That had been the first clue.

The second had been the fact that he had said hey at least six times and once in a rather dubious American accent.

Then he had looked her up and down, clocked the dressing gown she had hastily thrown on to answer the door and the way her hair was haphazardly contained in a bun and tutted at her. Actually tutted.

"You can't wear that to party in Rosie. Chop chop - go get changed. Quickly, quickly!" He had chimed, wagging his finger in her face and swigging from the nearly empty bottle in his hand. That is when she had dragged him side and looked concernedly at his form rifling through her cupboards.

"I fancied a night in Scorp – why don't you join me? I'll put the kettle on, we can watch a film…"

His shoulders had slumped , his hands still on the cupboard doors. She crossed the room, resting a hand on his back and whispering his name. She felt him draw a shaky breath.

"She left me Rose…she's gone."

* * *

><p>Small kills were not enough anymore, she knew that. The Aurors were handling them far too efficiently for her liking. She had hoped she could reduce them to a state of fear with the seemingly random killings. There was rarely a specific motive for the bodies that appeared in rivers and in alleys and once, slumped next to the guest entrance to the Ministry itself. She wanted them to feel like nobody was safe but Potter was good. She had underestimated his steady procedure and calming leadership. Obviously he was always going to be a challenge but she hadn't counted for the faith his team held in his judgement. Surely there must have been someone to spread that seed of doubt that would paralyse the wizarding community.<p>

Her nails clicked against the lacquered wood as she thought. Tap. Tap. Tap. She had to think.

She would just have to go bigger…more public…

A grim smile crossed her face. She knew what she had to do.


End file.
